This year I will cross something off my bucket list – completing a Sprint Triathlon! It is the Reston Sprint Triathlon, and it will take place on Sunday, June 3rd! I am about to turn 55 years old, and this will be my first sprint triathlon. I am up for the challenge! Plus, as you’ll see below, it benefits our community!
About 10 – 15 years ago I became fascinated with triathlons. I had only seen them on TV, and it was probably an Ironman! That seemed like an unobtainable goal to me, but then I found out about sprint triathlons! That seemed like a goal that I could work towards. You have to understand that 10 – 15 years ago I was overweight, and I barely exercised. How would I ever fit in exercising? Or eating nutritiously?
It seemed that my time was spent raising my children, taking care of my elderly parents, and running my two businesses. I realize that these are excuses, but that’s where I was for the past many years. Fast forward to five years ago and a life changing divorce. I started to feel more motivated to exercise. I had a personal trainer that helped me get to the point where I started jogging and then running 5Ks. I participated in a 5K for five months in a row. Winter hit, and I stopped running the 5Ks. Motivation waned in the last few years. I practiced yoga (and meditation) and walking and hiking. But that sprint triathlon was always in the back of my mind.
In 2017, I lost 20 pounds on my own. I did not use any particular diet plan. I reached deep inside of me for self-discipline in my nutrition. As the pounds started coming off, I again found a personal trainer in a friend of mine, Pilar Lorca who has her own personal training company called Fitness4Everybody. I started to feel stronger, even as I continued to lose weight.
Many years ago I had signed-up to receive emails from the Reston Sprint Triathlon organization. When I saw an email reminder to register come in early January, I was inspired to register! I have five months to train, and I am very excited! It just goes to show that anything is possible!
When I saw that there was a fundraising opportunity attached to the registration that will benefit the non-profit Cornerstones, I decided to join in and enhance my experience beyond my personal achievement. Thanks to my friends and family, I have already raised over $200 toward my $1000 goal. I’m a true believer in giving back to the community. There are incentives tied to the fundraiser, but even if there weren’t, I would still want to help raise funds for Cornerstones.
Wish me luck and steady training! See you on 6/3/18!
Brigitta S. Toruño